FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA

Thanks to its geographic position, Friuli-Venezia Giulia is at the crossroads arriving from east, the north and the south of Europe. The modern history in this region is dramatic. It was born after the Second World War from the union of Friuli and Trieste, which at that time were reunited with Italy. The cohabitation of different languages, cultures and traditions is one of the characteristics of the region.

Tourism in Friuli-Venezia-Giulia is tied both to beach resorts on the Adriatic seaas well as Alpine resorts. Rural tourism is still at the beginning of its development, but up to now, the characteristics of the welcoming hospitality in Friuli are tranquillity, refinement and fine dining.

When touring Friuli we advise a visit to the National Archaeological Museum with headquarters in Cividale del Friuli, where you can admire the Tempietto Longobardo, a Lombard church  famous for the stuccoes from the eighth century. Continuing on your itinerary you will find a small city that will amaze you with its shape. Palmanova is one of the most complete urban examples from the fifteen hundreds. It is composed of a nine-pointed shape that encompasses a polygon with nine sides. The roads are organized in rays that extend from the main square. Always on the lookout for fun, visit Aquileia or at least what remains of the large late Roman port and Miramare, which is a promontory north of Triestethat was chosen by Maximillian of Hapsburg to build one of the most beautiful castles of his day (1860).

DON’T MISS THE FESTIVAL

The festival of St. Nicholas and Krampus in Tarvisio

Each year on December 5 and 6, the streets of Tarvisio are filled with loud, tumultuous and startling bells mixed with guttural and wild hollering. Between the smoke of the torches you can see the statue of St. Nicholas giving sweets and his benediction to the children. Accompanying St. Nicholas there is a group of unsettling figures who represent Krampus, a character who inspired terror in the children with his shaggy shape, two enormous horns, black face and long red tongue that hung from his mouth: he would appear with a sack to kidnap naughty children and a whip to punish them.

The Krampus. While the Saint reassured the children with his gifts, he was also prone to give a good flogging to the young most impenitent sinners. It was a symbolic flogging for the most part, since the children were well protected with adequate padding ready. The Krampus, who have already practiced for a few festivals, are able to recognize the thickness of the padding by the sound of the blow.

One particularly interesting moment of the festival is when St. Nicholas goes to the homes to visit the children as their protectorate, giving them sweets and dried fruit. In times past, above all in Trieste, sugared St. Nicholas and devil candies representing the Krampus were made of dried fruit which were served on a stick or pieces of metal wire. According to tradition, on the eve of the holiday, the children would place a sock, a shoe or a plate on the window ledge and the Saint would fill it with goodies if they had been good and he would leave a stick for the naughty or a piece of lye soap for the less cleanly. Since St. Nicholas travelled by donkey, he was also provided with grain, hay and water.

THE WINES IN FRIULI-VENEZIA GIULIA

The territory of Friuli-Venezia Giulia is not large but it represents an area of high quality wine production. The slogan coined by the region is “a vineyard named Friuli” and it is not an exaggeration but a testimony to the quality of the area wines.

Two zones are primarily dedicated to the cultivation of vineyards: the plains that run from Pordenone down towards the sea (the Grave slope, the inland area, the lower Friuli plain on the coast) and the hilly areas (the Eastern Colli and Collio) which include the provinces of Udine and Gorizia all the way to the end of the national confines. The best white wines  in Grave are (Tocai Friulano, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay) which contrast the red wines like Merlot, Cabernet and Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso.  All are excellent wines that are historically famous for splendidly accompanying the exquisite local foods and ham such as San Daniele prosciutto.

In the eastern Colli and Collio zones white wines prevail (Tocai Friulano, Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio). A special mention goes to the sumptuous Collio DOC for its delicate bouquet and round flavour.

THE FLAVOURS IN FRIULI-VENEZIA GIULIA

This is another region with a double name that indicates two completely distinct regions. Friuli is mountainous and since ancient times it has been known for offering visitors a warm welcome and quality natural products. First and foremost the staple is polenta, which in ancient times was made from chick pea, fava and barley flour instead of corn. History has profoundly marked the character of Venezia Giulia and in particular the territory of Trieste, which was made unequivocally Mitteleuropean and cosmopolitan by it. The coastal area near Venice, could not help but feel the influence of the Serenissima, as Venice is referred to, and that influence was also felt in the cuisine.

FIRST COURSES. Polenta in Friuli constitutes a basic ingredient for all meals. At breakfast polenta is simply cut into slices and eaten with milk and at lunch and dinner it is served with a wide variety of condiments. It is cooked for a very long time to make it especially dense so it can be cut with a taut string, even when it is still hot. One of the most common dishes is gnocchi di polenta, a sort of tiny dumpling made from cold polenta that is reheated by pouring salted boiling water over the top and then melting butter or putting smoked ricotta cheese on it. Another simple dish is polenta al burro, which is made by putting polenta slices in the oven after having covered them with melted butter, grated cheese and cinnamon. Another similar process is used to make gnocchi di zucca, another dumpling made by a mixture of oven cooked squash, flour, eggs and grated cheese that is baked in the oven covered in butter, sage and bread crumbs. A first course common in the Trieste zone of Friuli is the minestra di fagioli e orzo. This hearty soup made from beans and barley has bacon or  sausage with the possible addition of corn, potatoes, ham bone, onion, carrot, celery parsley and/or basil.

SECOND COURSES. The Austro-Hungarian influence is evident in second courses like gulasch alla triestina, which is ground beef that has been browned in fresh pork fat with onions, paprika and herbs, with a great deal of tomato sauce added halfway through the cooking. Guanciale di manzo con cumino is a beef and cumin dish that is a little different, but just as tasty. The oil used to make the recipe is traditionally referred to as ont, and it is made by browning butter and then storing it (today it is kept in the refrigerator where it may be conserved for several months). Simmered with garlic and onion, it is then sprayed with vinegar and flavoured with cumin and hot pepper. The meats in Friuli are frequently accompanied by the traditional brovade, a dish made from fresh turnips cut into disks and cooked in pork broth after having been aged for thirty days in wine sediment or pomace.

In the coastal areas do try the brodeto fish broth made with Goby, Scorpion fish, John Dory, Monkfish, Turbot and/or Red Mullet. The scorpion fish is boiled in water with tomato sauce then the bones are removed and it is processed through a sieve together with the broth. The other fish is fried and sprayed with vinegar and white wine, and then covered with the broth.

THE DESSERTS. The desserts also vary from one sub-region to the next. Gnocchi di susine are distinctive of Friuli. The dumpling is made with flour, leavening, eggs, milk, butter and sugar with half of a dried plum, at the centre. Cooked in boiling water, the dumplings are then dipped in melted butter and covered with grated bread and sugar. The presnitz triestino is reminiscent of Austro-Hungarian feasts. It is a type of fritter rolled into a spiral and filled with raisins, almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, candied fruits, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, all doused with Cipro wine and rum. In the popular strucolo it is further enriched by fresh ricotta.